Israel Family Collection 1814-1996
Author: Israel family
Subject: Adler, Nathan Marcus, 1803-1890; Einstein, Albert 1879-1955; Heilbut, Bertha; Israel, Berthold; Oppenheimer, Joseph 1911-2003; Jacobson, Israel, 1768-1828 1823-1894; Israel, Nathan 1782-1852; Israel, Berthold, 1868-1935; Oppenheimer, Joseph 1832-1885; Citizenship; Genealogy; Genealogy; Jewish leadership; Vital statistics; Wills and testaments
Language: German
Call number: 202225
Digitizing sponsor: Leo Baeck Institute Archives
Book contributor: Leo Baeck Institute Archives
Collection: LeoBaeckInstitute; americana
Full catalog record: MARCXML
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Description
This collection describes the history and fortunes of the members of the Israel family of Berlin, particularly during the 1930s. A main topic of this collection is the Kaufhaus N. Israel, the Israel family's department store. In addition, documents detailing the family's efforts to receive restitution for this property and others will be found among the papers in this collection. Finally, the collection also contains copies of Israel family members' papers, information on family history, and family trees
Documents pertaining to the N. Israel Department Store will largely be found in Series III. Some of these papers include publications by the store itself, such as anniversary albums and publicity advertisements. Series III also contains clippings from the Nazi newspaper Der Stürmer advising Germans not to shop at Kaufhaus N. Israel. Photos of the interior of the building along with an inventory of fixtures in the store is also part of this series
Restitution for the Israel family's loss of the N. Israel department store and other properties is the most well-represented topic of this collection. Documents on this topic, consisting almost entirely of correspondence and forms, will be found in Series IV
Finally, this collection also features material on the history and genealogy of various members of the Israel family, as well as their papers. Series I is concerned with the history of the Israel family and holds copies of family trees. Series II is made up of papers belonging to various members of the family. Included among these documents is an album holding photocopies of government documents belonging to family ancestors. In addition, Series II also holds correspondence of Wilfrid Israel with friends in Bombay, Israel
The Israel Family Collection is made up of four collections, each from a separate donation with its own collection number. These collection numbers are referenced in folder titles. The arrangement mentioned in this finding aid refers to the intellectual arrangement of the collection's contents rather than the physical arrangement of folders
The House of Israel was started in 1815 by Nathan Israel at the Molkenmarkt in Berlin, as a small second-hand store that soon developed into a world-renowned wholesale, retail, and export business which occupied a unique position in Germany. The firm was known for the high standard of its interiors, as well as the highly trained staff. In 1925, Kaufhaus N. Israel started its own business school whose exams were recognized by the state. Employees' pension funds amounted to circa 2 ½ million RM, and employees had their own hospital, sports grounds, and club rooms. From 1915 until 1935, the sole owners after Nathan Israel were his son Jakob and later his grandson Berthold. After Berthold Israel's death, the firm was owned by his two sons, Wilfrid and Herbert, for a total of four generations of ownership
In addition to its retail business, the firm was engaged in supplying hospitals, hotels, theaters, military establishments, and other public and private concerns. In 1888, at the death of Emperor Wilhelm I, the firm supplied the entire funeral decorations for all the streets through which the funeral procession passed. The firm worked only with its own capital, relying upon neither credits nor mortgages, and became an important member in financial circles. This practice served the firm well in 1933 after the Nazis came to power as they were able to continue to operate without pressure to aryanize by German financial institutions. The firm was a member of the Berlin Stock Exchange until the Nazi era
Berthold Israel was especially concerned with the welfare of his employees, who numbered 2,000 in 1925. In 1895, in memory of Jakob Israel, the firm founded the employee, widows' and orphans' pension fund with 250,000 RM, a considerable amount at that time. In addition, the firm had a matching fund program, which at that time was rather unusual. After the aryanization of the firm, neither the obligations of the pension fund nor the matching fund were fulfilled. The firm published an annual album on various topics such as the "Woman and her World" 1910, a book on the position of women in politics, art, beauty, fashion, theater and in unusual professions such as a lady in St. Petersburg who supplied "wailing wives and mourners for funerals."
On April 1, 1933, N. Israel was boycotted, as were most Jewish establishments, with Nazis in uniform planted in front of the store carrying signs intimidating Germans from visiting the store. In 1938, the firm was sold to Emil Köster AG, and in 1939 the aryanization of the House of Israel was completed and the firm reopened as "Das Haus im Zentrum."
Following the takeover of the N. Israel store, Wilfrid and his brother Herbert emigrated. Wilfrid, who was born in England, had a small research assignment at the University of Balliol College. From this position, he tried to establish contact between the German underground opposition forces through Adam von Trott, a personal friend of his and Sir Stafford Cripps, Britain's foreign minister. He was also instrumental in organizing ship transports for Jewish children out of occupied Europe. Wilfrid Israel died, together with the actor Leslie Howard, on one of his missions when his civilian plane was shot down between Lisbon and London. This plane was sent as a decoy so that the plane carrying Winston Churchill could land safely
Herbert Israel emigrated to the United States as did their mother, Amy Israel. After the war, the accounting firm of Richard M. Henschke undertook the filing of restitution claims. Only minimal reparations were paid as the main properties were in the East zone. Only after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reconstruction phase in Germany did the heirs begin to receive any sizable compensation
EAD finding ais available online
5-page inventory, 4 catalogue cards
The finding aid for this collection is available online
Photographs removed to Photograph Collection
Annual albums issued by the N. Israel Department Store are available in the LBI library
The following individuals are mentioned in this collection: Fraenkel, Veit; Fraenkel, Riess; Israel, Wilfred; Prins, Vivian; Reissner, Hanns; Salinger, Julius; Adler, Nathan Marcus; Einstein, Albert; Heilbut, Bertha ; Jacob, Israel; Israel, Nathan;
The following families are mentioned in this collection: Adler family; Israel family; Koppel family;
Selected metadata
| Identifier: | israelfamily |
| Mediatype: | texts |
| Page-progression: | lr |
| Scanningcenter: | sanfrancisco |
| Ead-container: | true |
| Source: | lbiead |
